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‘Huge part of my life’: Treat Williams' dream of becoming a pilot came true thanks to his coach's mistake

Williams died on Monday, June 12 after being involved in a motorcycle accident on Route 30 near Dorset

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Treat Williams was undoubtedly a prolific Hollywood veteran, who wore several hats throughout his career in showbiz. The 71-year-old accomplished actor and director tragically died on Monday, June 12, after being involved in a motorcycle accident on Route 30 near Dorset, Vermont. The crash happened at around 5 pm when Honda driver Ryan M Koss signaled left into a parking lot and fatally struck Williams who suffered multiple injuries as he hit the ground hard.

The acclaimed thespian is remembered for his phenomenal performance in blockbusters including, ‘Everwood’, ‘Hair’, 'Chicago Fire', and 'Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead'. During his illustrious career, Williams also sat in the director’s chair and helmed many magnificent ventures. Apart from being an actor and director, he also worked as a pilot and flight instructor, who owned an aviation company. The ‘Everwood’ star has been a pilot for over 40 years before his tragic death. During his time as a pilot, Williams earned many recognitions, with a commercial license and a certified flight instructor license.

How Treat Williams fell in love with flying

Williams’ passion for flying was sparked in 1969 when his high school football coach misplaced his school ring by mistake. When it couldn't be found, the coach offered him two free flying lessons in his Super Cub in lieu of payment. Williams immediately accepted the offer without thinking twice and the experience made him a true-blue flying enthusiast.

Williams would work as a taxi driver, sing in a band, and even take on gigs as a house painter in 1973 while he was a senior in college to pay for his private license. The actor bought his first plane from an airline pilot while performing in the musical 'Grease' on Broadway. He paid $3,000 for a Clip Wing Cub, which the technician wouldn't fix when it was due for an annual, according to Living Legends of Aviation.

After gaining experience flying from coast to coast in his Cherokee 180, he bought a Seneca and flew it for 20 years. Williams continued to advance throughout that period, earning his CFI and adding 'helicopter flying' to his resume. The ‘Hair’ star then went on to buy Cineflight, a company that provided aviation services for films and television. Later, he earned a Living Legends of Aviation recognition for his more than 10,000 hours in the air, according to the organization. In 2019, he joined a historic flight to Normandy in honor of D-Day on a vintage aircraft from World War II.

‘I used to have dreams about flying’

After earning big success as a pilot, Williams previously revealed that becoming a pilot was his childhood dream. “Yes—literally. I used to have dreams about flying when I was a boy. And I would salivate over toy airplanes. My favorite toy was a faux airplane panel that my father made for my sister and me, with all sorts of bells and whistles. I played with that for years. I also remember thinking that if I could pedal my tricycle fast enough on the sidewalk I could achieve liftoff. I was convinced!” he said during a 2010 interview with Publisher Weekly. At that time, he reflected on his love for flying and said ‘I guess I did. I’ve been flying for about 35 years, give or take. It has really been a huge part of my life.’